These 12 1960s TV shows are still a pleasure to watch after all these years.
Almost all live on in syndication or streaming, and all live on in our hearts.
Think we missed one? Let us know in the comments.
But First
Before you read this list and say “What about Hee Haw?” please bear in mind that we’re going with shows that aired mostly in the 1960s, not terrific shows like Hee Haw, Laugh-In (pictured) and Monty Python’s Flying Circus that started in the 1960s but aired most of their episodes later.
That’s also why we aren’t including the excellent Tonight Show With Johnny Carson and one of our all-time favorites, Mister Rogers Neighborhood.
And now, on with our list of 12 1960s TV Shows That Are Still a Pleasure to Watch.
Bewitched
Elizabeth Montgomery was impossibly enchanting as Samantha Stephens, a witch who tries to adjust to life as a typical American 1960s housewife.
The show had a stacked bench including the wonderfully over-the-top Agnes Moorehead as Endora, Samantha’s meddling mother and Dick York (later Dick Sargent) as her in-over-his-head husband, Darrin Stephens.
We’d watch just to watch Samantha twitch her nose, but the show, created by Sol Saks, also benefitted from terrific guest stars like Paul Lynde, who played Samantha’s Uncle Arthur. It aired from 1964-72.
I Dream of Jeannie
If you understand the setup of Bewitched, you also understand the setup of I Dream of Jeannie, which is basically Bewitched, but with a female genie.
Created by Sidney Sheldon, I Dream of Jeannie is somehow even sillier than Bewitched, and reveled even more in its campiness, making it a dreamy 1960s time capsule alongside similarly silly shows like The Monkees. It aired from 1965 to 1970 on NBC.
Barbara Eden popped as Jeannie, and Larry Hagman had an everyman appeal he later played against as the diabolical JR Ewing on Dallas.
Is I Dream of Jeannie good? Has it aged well? That’s up to you. But you can’t argue with its theme song, one of the catchiest ever recorded.
The Twilight Zone
Created and hosted by the iconic Rod Serling, it aired from 1959 to 1964 on CBS. For our money, it’s the single best 1960s TV show, and one of the best TV shows of any decade.
Each episode tells a new story of strange happenings. In the everyday world, these things would be impossible — but when one accidentally crosses over into the Twilight Zone, anything can happen.
It also had a fascinating knack for predicting the future.
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
It’s rather incredible that after making classic films like Notorious, Rear Window, Vertigo and Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock still had the energy to lead a TV series.
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, an update of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-62), featured Hitch introducing stories of mayhem with his characteristic dark, dry wit. It ran from 1962-65.
One highlight was seeing Hitch try (but not too hard) to convince us at the end of each story that the main character had been brought to justice, if that hadn’t happened within the episode. Hitchcock once told TV Guide that his reassurances that the criminal was caught off-camera were “a necessary gesture to morality.”
The show also notably featured future stars like Robert Redford and Gena Rowlands.
The Avengers
Before Marvel’s The Avengers ruled the box office, the British airwaves were ruled by John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and his many capable assistants.
The Avengers is easy to compare to James Bond, particularly two of the most famous Bond girls, Diana Rigg and Honor Blackman, were especially capable assistants. We might even go so far as to argue that they overshadowed him completely.
Notably, Diana Rigg would go on to become the only Mrs. James Bond.
The Andy Griffith Show
If you need to relax completely, settle in for a good-natured episode of The Andy Griffith Show, starring Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor, sheriff of a Norman Rockwell-style small town.
The crimes, such as they are, tend to be misunderstandings, and many lessons are learned by young Opie, future filmmaker Ron Howard.
While Andy exudes kindness, the lovable Barney Fife (Don Knotts) provides ample comic relief.
Created by Sheldon Leonard, the show ran from 1960 to 1968.
Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies, which ran on CBS from 1962 to 1971, is one of our favorite turn-off-your-brain classic TV shows.
It follows the Clampett family, who strike it rich after discovering an oil field in their backyard. When they move to a mansion in Beverly Hills, they take their country ways with them. But they often turn out to be wiser than their highfalutin’ neighbors.
Buddy Ebsen starred as widower Jed Clampett, Donna Douglas played Jed’s daughter, Elly May Clampett, Irene Ryan played Daisy Moses, A.K.A. Granny, and Max Baer Jr. played cousin Jethro Bodine.
The Addams Family
You need look no further than Netflix’s Wednesday to see the enduring power of The Addams Family.
Based on Charles Addams’ New Yorker cartoons, the original Addams Family macabre sitcom ran from 1964 to 1966 on ABC.
It starred John Astin as father Gomez Addams, Carolyn Jones as mother Morticia Addams, Lisa Loring as daughter Wednesday Addams, Ken Weatherwax as brother Pugsley Addams, Tedd Cassidy as Lurch the butler, Blossom Rock as Grandma Addams, and Jackie Coogan as Uncle Fester, with appearances from other relatives including Cousin Itt played by Felix Silla and Roger Arroyo.
The Addams lived in a large house full of creepy artifacts, including a disembodied hand called Thing, and often confuse and frighten the friends they make in town despite always treating them kindly.
The Munsters
There are many similarities between The Addams Family and The Munsters, and both creepy families have their partisans. Both shows also aired from 1964 to 1966.
Personally, we find The Munsters a little more accessible — they’re broader and sillier. The versatile Fred Gwynne stars as Frankenstein’s Monster, Yvonne De Carlo plays his vampiress wife Lily, Al Lewis often steals the show as Grandpa, Beverley Owen (and later Pat Priest) is niece Marilyn, and Butch Patrick is adorable as Eddie.
We also liked Ben Stiller’s frantic take on Eddie Munster on Saturday Night Life, nearly two decades later.
Gilligan’s Island
Speaking of irresistible theme songs: This distracting, delightfully silly CBS sitcom aired from 1964 to 1967.
Gilligan’s Island follows the story of a group of castaways, all from different backgrounds, on the SS Minnow who are shipwrecked on a tropical island. Though they constantly try to get rescued, their plans are usually spoiled by the first mate, Gilligan (Bob Denver, a veteran of another great show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis).
The first 36 episodes originally aired in black and white and were later colorized. Gilligan’s Island also stars Alan Hale Jr. as the Skipper; Dawn Wells as farm girl Mary Ann Summers, Jim Backus as millionaire Thurston Howell III; Natalie Schafer as his wife, Lovey; Tina Louise as movie star Ginger Grant, and Russell Johnson as the Professor.
Star Trek
Don’t worry, Trekkies: We remembered. Gene Roddenberry’s original Star Trek only ran from 1966 to 1969 on NBC, but few shows on this list had so much cultural impact.
The series, which like the Twilight Zone was full of metaphors about modern life and how to improve human relations, starred William Shatner as Captain Kirk, commander of the starship Enterprise, whose mission was to explore new worlds and civilizations.
His loyal team included Leonard Nimoy as first officer Spock, a member of the alien Vulcan race; DeForest Kelly as Leonard “Bones” McCoy, chief medical officer; Nichelle Nichols as Nyota Uhura, the ship’s communication officer; and George Takei as Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman. James Doohan, as second officer Scotty, beamed everyone up.
Star Trek remains prescient today — and you can watch many spinoffs currently streaming.
Batman
One of our favorite shows ever, it featured one of our favorite Batman actors, one of our favorite Jokers, and two of our favorite Catwoman actresses.
Adam West defined Batman by playing straight man to a rogue’s gallery of villains who camped it up to an absurdly delightful degree. To kids, it was all deadly serious; to their parents, not so much.
Batman has a boundless energy that still plays very well today. And we never tire of seeing Burt Ward, Cesar Romero, Eartha Kitt, Julie Newmar, Burgess Meredith, Yvonne Craig and many more turn up for some rompish new low-stakes adventure.
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Main image: Yvonne Craig as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in Batman. ABC
Editor’s note: Corrects Burt Ward’s name.